All the Difference
by Sassy Aloo
Summary: What if Axel was the one to have reservations about starting that particular relationship? AU


**Warnings:** Teenage angsting. Isn't it fun?

**Pairings:** Lalala…

**Sassy's Note:** To tell you the truth, I'm not sure this makes any sense to anyone but me… has almost no point, but I _did_ write it for a reason. I think a few of you may understand.

**All the Difference**

Axel didn't fidget. Demyx had known the redhead since elementary, and never in those many, many years had the blond ever seen Axel fidget. Such a thing to do would indicate nervousness or discomfort. Axel was never nervous, and he was certainly never uncomfortable.

You can understand, then, why Demyx was a bit perplexed to find his longtime friend sitting on the bench in front of their high school, squirming around like an earthworm on hot pavement. Curious, Demyx made his way across the grass to him. At a closer look, he could see the way Axel's eyebrows were drawn together and the worried frown in his face.

"What's up, Ax?" he chirped, setting his guitar case down on the ground next to Axel's backpack. The latter looked up and very obviously formed his face into a mask of ignorance.

"Nothing. Why?"

"It just looked like – from a distance, mind you – that you were _fidgeting_."

Now Axel knew as well as Demyx that he did _not_ fidget. Under normal circumstances, the redhead would shove the blond's face into the ground for even _thinking_ such a preposterous thing, but these were not normal circumstances. Axel couldn't find it in himself to deny that he _had_ been fidgeting, because he had been.

But you must understand for the sake of Axel's pride, that this was a first, and he had a pretty damn good reason to be fidgeting the way he was.

"Eh, it's nothing," said Axel, waving his hand through the air unconcernedly.

"Ah, so I guess Roxas is going by 'nothing' now, then?" Demyx commented with a shrug of his shoulders.

Axel spluttered. The other just smiled.

"You really think I'm stupid, don't you?" He wasn't angry; he sounded amused. The blond sighed. "If you like Roxas, ask him to hang out."

"It's not that simple!" Axel burst out.

Demyx just blinked at him. "Oh really? I wasn't aware it was all that complicated. He's flaming; you're flaming; and I'm pretty sure the runt has a crush on you."

"All that doesn't matter," Axel growled. "He's too young."

"He's in high school."

"He's a sophomore."

"You're just a senior."

"It's weird!"

"Seniors date sophomores all the time, Ax."

"I feel like a pedophile even having this conversation…" said Axel with a frustrated noise.

"Why? He's only a couple years younger."

"It's weird."

"Two years is not that long."

"It is when you're in high school…"

"Don't go depressed on me, Ax."

"I am not depressed!"

"I know. I just said not to go all depressed on me."

Axel growled and lowered his head. "You're not helping, Dem."

Demyx shrugged. "Hey, I'm just being frank with you. Don't know why you're so freaked out about this."

"It's _different_."

"No. I think it's Roxas who is different."

Axel's emerald eyes gained a distant look. "Maybe."

"No. No maybe. You and I both know it's true." Demyx glared at him for a minute, then let out a soft, sarcastic laugh. "You are such an idiot."

"Thanks."

"There you go sounding depressed again."

"You know, you could help me feel _better_. Just a thought."

"I'm not here to make you feel better. I'm here to tell you to go talk to that boy so you will feel better. There's nothing I can do but give you a shove in the right direction."

"You really, really think talking to Roxas is the answer to all my problems?"

"I really, _really_ do, Ax."

They fell into silence, broken only by the sounds of the underclassmen thundering out of the school building. Both of them glanced over at the main exit of the building, and sure enough, out tumbled a blond boy no older than fifteen. His face was passive, eyes trained on his bus that would take him home for the day.

"Now's your chance, Axel," Demyx said softly. "Go."

"But…"

"No. Shut up. Go talk to him." The blond smiled at his best friend. "You've got one chance. Don't miss it."

Axel glanced past Demyx at the object of his affections. He watched Roxas make his quick way to the bus. Demyx watched the changes in his friend's face carefully, and when the redhead sprang to his feet, Demyx smiled brighter than he had in a while.

"Go get him," he said, and Axel beamed at him then took off running toward the boy. Demyx watched his progress, feeling his heart pound horribly against his ribcage as the redhead caught the boy. Roxas' face was genuinely surprised, and as Axel talked frantically, waving his hands around, the young blond smiled, shrugging his shoulders and responding to whatever Axel had said.

Demyx turned away at that and grabbed his guitar case and rose from the bench for the long walk home. He was happy for Axel, despite how dejected he felt at the moment.

It was warming to see his best friend finally approach the one he desired.

But it hurt to see the one he loved run to another.

-end-

**Sassy:** Uhh… yeah?


End file.
